Air Control Company Blog

CHEAP A/C NOW!!

Wed, 16 May 2012 19:20:00 GMT

If you have been wanting air conditioning, but it has seemed too expensive, this might be a good time to move ahead. This is early in the A/C season and there are a number of "hot deal" going around. This is because manufacturers and wholesalers are clearning out last year's inventory. The units are new, and come with a full factory warranty. The warranty starts with when the are installed, NOT when they were manufactured, so it makes no difference that the A/C unit was manufactured last year. This could be the deal you have been waiting for, but don't wait long, because these deals usually go fast. If you want to know what hot deals we have cooking at our company, call 509-924-0018. But you can call around too, because we are not the only one that has these specials.

R410A or R22?

Mon, 07 May 2012 18:26:00 GMT

A few years ago, refrigerant R-22 was actually designated at the "environmentally safe" refrigerant, and was scheduled to be used until 2035. But now the EPA has accelerated the R-22 phaseout. R410A is now the "environmentally safe" refrigerant. But R-22 is still in use, and can still be purchased. In fact you can buy dry-charged R-22 equipment. So which one should you choose? There is no one answer, but there is a clear choice. Depending on your situation, here are the answers you need:

IF YOU ARE PUTTING IN AN ENTIRELY NEW SYSTEM, choose R-410A, no question. There is no cost penalty, and R-410A is going to be available for a long time.

IF YOU ARE REPLACING JUST YOUR NEWER OUTDOOR CONDENSING UNIT, and your R-22 system is less than 10 years old, consider buying a "dry R-22 unit". It has no R-22 refrigerant in it, but you can use the refrigerant from the old system to recharge the new system. This will allow you to reuse you old evaporator, saving you approximately $1,000 dollars on the job.

IF YOU ARE COMPLETELY REPLACING YOUR OLD A/C system (over 10 years old), you will need to replace both indoor evaporator and outdoor condenser, and you should just go with a new R410A system. You will have a completely new system, and you should just go with the newest refrigerant, which is R-410A and should be available as long as you will ever need it. If you have further questions on this, email me at: max@aircontrolspokane.com or call 509-924-0018

Springtime is late--WATCH OUT FOR TROUBLE!

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 23:59:00 GMT

Spring looks to be getting a slow start this year. What that can mean is that we go quickly from "winter" to summer. Often this does not give people adequate time to have their air conditioner serviced in advance of being used. If your cooling system has a problem that would normally be diagnosed and corrected during the early season checkup, and you do NOT get that dealt with in advance of use, you may wind up with a much more expensive repair than the original one. The point is-- you should look at the calendar, not the thermometer, and get your air conditioner serviced at the regularly scheduled time. In the Northwest, that should be either April or May. Call us at 924-0018 and get on the schedule now. You can even call now and schedule the service for May. Just don't forget to do it, because it can cost you a lot of money unnecessarily.

410A vs R22-which is right for you?

Sat, 31 Mar 2012 02:12:00 GMT

There has been an industry move away from refrigerant 22 (R22) toward refrigerant 410A. Homeowners needing major repairs may be faced with the difficult choice of replacing vs repairing air conditioning systems, and the need to change refrigerants in the process. For a condensing unit changeout, you may have the choice between installing a "dry-charged" R22 condenser, and reusing the refrigerant that was in your old system, vs replacing the old condensing unit with an R410A unit, but then also needing to replace the old R22 evaporator with a R410A evaporator. This second choice will cost more money now, but will leave you with a currently-used Refrigerant in your air conditioning system.

Which choice? Basically the choice comes down to spending approximately 25% more now and having a modern refrigerant, or spending less now and running the risk that you will not need to buy more R22 refrigerant for your home A/C system.

There is no absolute answer. Look at the prices of each option, and if one is dramatically less, then choose that one. The fact is, that R22 will be around for a long time, and while it may cost more IF you ever need to buy it, the additional cost should be far less than replacing your evaporator now. On the other hand, if you are buying a complete new system, you will want to make sure you get one that uses R410A. MJ

FIRE PREVENTION TIPS

Thu, 08 Mar 2012 22:45:00 GMT

1. Make sure you have smoke alarms properly installed on every level. Better, purchase combination smoke-carbon monoxide detectors. Test monthly. Replace batteries annually.

2. Keep space heaters at least 3 feet away from furniture, walls, or other flamable materials .

3. Have you heating system inspected and serivced annually. Inspection should always include a heat-exchanger examination and a carbon monoxide test of your gas or oil furnace.

4. Make sure your kitchen and bathroom electrical outlets are procted by ground-fault circuit-interruptors (GFCI).

5. Make sure your bedroosm outlets are protected by arc-fault circuit-interruptors (AFCI).

6. Keep dryer vents cleaned out. Don't leave home with the dryer still running.

7. Have you chimeny inspected and cleaned annually if you burn wood.

8. Lastly, be careful with candles! Don't allow children to burn candles without supervision. Candles cause far more fires than people realize!

AIR CONDITIONING SEASON IS COMING

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 07:53:00 GMT

If you were planning to buy and air conditioner this year, I have good news. The prices of air conditioners are flat to even lower than last year. In some cases manufactures have reduced the price of existing models. In other cases, they have come up with a new "value" line as way to reduce prices without losing face. Either way, the consumers wins this one. So don't wait for prices to go up this summer, call now and take advantage of the hot deals.

ENERGY SAVINGS 2012

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 06:39:00 GMT

IF YOUR HOME OR OFFICE UTILITY BILL SEEMS TOO HIGH, HERE ARE SOME THINGS YOU CAN DO TO LOWER IT:

1. Replace your furnace filter. Dirty filters will increase the cost of heating and cooling your home or business. If your HVAC equipment is on the roof, you will probably need to hire a professional to access and service it.

2. Turn off unused appliances, such as computers, televisions, or lights in vacanty rooms. You can inexpensively add an "occupancy sensor" to most rooms. Company bathrooms are an especially good place for occupancy sensors.

3. Unplug chargers when not in use. They use electricity even when they aren't charging anything.

4. Turn down the thermostat at night. A night-setback thermostat will do this for you automatically. 7-day models are available for businesses.

ITS STILL WINTER!

Fri, 24 Feb 2012 20:21:00 GMT

If you look at the calendar, its still winter. That means your furnace is still working hard. If you didn't tune up your furnace last fall, consider doing it now. Your furnace needs an annual tune and service to work efriciently, and that will save you money. How about using some of 0your upcoming TAX REFUND to tune up your furnace, and that will save you money that you are presently sending to your utility company. That's a pretty smart investment!

A New tool to help keep you SAFE!

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 21:41:00 GMT

We have purchased a new high-tech gadget to help protect you: It is a tiny camera mounted on as flexible extension. We can snake this camera up into your furnace heat exchanger and look for dangers cracks that used to be inaccessible. That means we can now find heat exchanger cracks that used to go undetected. Cracks in your heat exchanger can allow CARBON MONOXIDE, a deadly gas, to enter your home, causing nausea, illness, or even death. Thiis is just one more way we are keeping you safe, warm and comfortable.

Watch out for Cell Phone Law

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:29:00 GMT

It has been illegal to drive and use a cell phone since 2008. More recently it became a primary offense, which means the police can now stop you for that alone. But even more recently, the police have begun stopping people talking on cell phones in Spokane and actually giving them tickets. The police are starting to implement the law. So, it is time to stop fooling around with your cell phone and get a handls-free device. Fortunately there are some pretty good ones out there now that give good fidelity and cost only around $50.00. That is a lot less than a ticket, so m aybe it is time to get one for yourself.

Philosphically, I have to ask myself whether careful talking on the cell phone while driving is really more distracting than say, eating a hamburger, drinking coffee, or sitting close with your sweetheart while driving. But the fact is, we live in a "nanny" state, and until the law is refined to address actual bad driving, you have to protect yourself. So, go check out the latest hands-free devices. You may just like what you find!

WIRELESS THEMOSTATS AND OTHER MARVELS

Wed, 20 Apr 2011 21:17:00 GMT

Have you even been in a room that was too cold or too hot, yet the thermostat was reading "satisifed"? A nifty solution to this problem is to install a "wireless" thermostat. It works just like any other themostat, controlling the heating & cooling equipment to maintain its programmed temperature. But there is a big difference--since it is wireless, you can take it with you to whatever room you are in. That room will then be automatically brought to the temperature you want. Move to another room, and you can take the thermostat with you and that room will then be brought to the desired temperature.

A wireless themostat has another advantage also. Modern high-tech HVAC equipment often requires more control wires than what are available for the old system. Sometimes it is possible to run a larger thermostat wire cable. But if not, due to finished basements, distance, etc. a wireless thermostat will solve this problem instantly. And likely the labor savings from NOT having to run new thermostat wire cables will more than pay for the wireless upgrade.

HOW TO GET $1500.00 TOWARD A MINISPLIT HEAT PUMP:

Wed, 23 Mar 2011 23:07:00 GMT

Even though the big $1500.00 federal tax credit for energy-efficient heating equipment ended Dec 31, 2010, there is still an opportunity for consumers to get this amount of money toward a heat pump if you are a customer in the Avista or Vera utility districts. To qualiify, you have to live in an electrically heated home that is presently using resistance electric heat. If so, you can received $1500.00 towards the installation of a qualifying mini-split heat pump from an industry group called the "Northwest Heat Pump Project". This is not a gimmick, and the ppayment will typically cover over 1/3 of the installation cost. NWHPP is cooperative sponsored by utilities in the Northwest, with the purpose of reducing electric usage for customers through their program. For more information call our office in Spokane at 509-924-0018.

NEW FEDERAL HVAC TAX CREDITS

Wed, 19 Jan 2011 21:58:00 GMT

With the expiration of the 2010 tax credit incentives for installing igh-efficiency furnaces and/or heat pumps, many have been wondering if new incentive credits would be forthcoming to encourage consumers to continue installing high-efficiency systems. I am happy to say that is indeed the case. Here they are:

Central Air Conditioners: 16SEER and 13EER = $300.00 tax credit

Heat Pumps: 15 SEER and 12.5 EER = $300 tax credit

Natural Gas Furnace : 95% AFUE = $150.00 tax credit.

Advanced Main Air Circulating Fan (ECM Blower) = $50.00 tax credit

These are very good tax credits. Keep in mind that you can get several rebates on one project. For instance, you could install a 95% gas furnace with an ECM blower, then add an 16 SEER air conditioner or heat pump for cooling. You would get $95 + $50 + $300.00 for a total rebate of $445.00. Not bad! The maximum available combined rebate is $500.00.

UTILITY REBATES ALSO ENDING

Thu, 18 Nov 2010 23:27:00 GMT

Avista, the main local utility in Spokane WA and North Idaho, presently offers very lucrative incentives for homeowners to upgrade their heating systems. For instance, they will pay you $400.00 to install a 90% efficient gas furnace, and another $400.00 to install a 9 HSPF heat pump. If you do both, they will pay you $800.00! Unfortunately, those incentives will be changing as of December 31, 2010. Instead of a flat guaranateed fee incentive, payments will be based on the amount of energy actually saved per year. In addition, electrical incentives requiring over an 8 year payback and natural gas incentives over a 13 year payback will be discontinued entirely. The net result to homeowners will be smaller and few total incentives from their local utility.

The $1500. federal tax credit for energy efficiency improvements is scheduled to end Dec 31, 2010. Now homeowners are also losing another source of incentives at the same time. It very timely and advantageous for Spokane and North Idaho homeowners to act before the end of 2010 to upgrade your heating systems and lock in these payments. Those who do not will lose these lucrative incentives forever.

Fortunately there is still time to capture these incentives. If you have questions, call 509-924-0018. An Air Control representative will be happy to answer your questions and help you evaluate all your options.

Max Johnston

President, Air Control Heating

509-924-0018

Wireless Thermostats--a subtle advantage

Tue, 02 Nov 2010 21:23:00 GMT

Have you heard about the new wireless themostats?

They offer two big advantages to the user. First of all, they are easy to install. Some thermostat locations are difficult to run wires to. That requires extra time and money. Wireless thermostats eliminate that expense, so they save you money on the installation.

The second advantage is more subtle. Since the thermostat is wireless, it is also portable, and you can take it with you anywhere in the house. That means a lot in terms of comfort, because if the thermotat is near you, the temperature at that location is going to be exactly the temperature you set for the whole house. Since temperatures in a house normally vary by plus or minus two degrees (a total range of 4 degrees), this can be the difference between being completely comfort vs making do with a blanket on your lap.

For more information on wireless thermostats, call our office at 509-924-0018, or email us at info@aircontrolspokane.com